Two people are being treated in hospital after an incident involving armed police on Woodfield Road in the Bilton area of Harrogate today.

Officers were called to Woodfield Road after being alerted to a disturbance in a council flat close to Woodfield Community Primary School before 7am.

Police put a cordon in place and a long stretch of the road was closed until a man was led away at about 10.10am.

North Yorkshire Police has now said a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of affray.

Read more:

• Bilton shocked after four-hour armed police incident
• Man arrested after four-hour police incident in Bilton

It tweeted this afternoon:

“A man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of affray and has been taken to hospital for treatment.

“A woman was also taken to hospital with an injury to her hand.

“The cordon has now been lifted and the road has reopened.”

People in Bilton have spoken of their shock after the suburb became the scene of a four-hour armed police incident this morning.

Officers were called to Woodfield Road after being alerted to a disturbance in a council flat close to Woodfield Community Primary School.

A large stretch of the road was closed amid reports of a man behaving erratically in a first-floor window.

Crowds gathered to watch about half a dozen armed police officers, protected by a shield, stand in a garden outside the flat. An ambulance was also on hand.

Police were seen talking to the man, who was leaning out of the window.

A nearby resident on Woodfield Road, who asked not to be named, said they became aware of the commotion at about 6.30am and police arrived after it got louder. She said:

“There were loads of police. It was a worrying incident.”

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A workman in the area told the Stray Ferret he arrived in the area at 7.30am and was shocked to see about eight police vehicles and an ambulance.

“There was a guy throwing stuff from a window and shouting, and a lot of police cars moving about. It was shocking.”

A police cordon was erected as more and more people began to gather on the street to watch the drama unfold.

North Yorkshire Police issued a short statement saying a police negotiator was at the scene and the public were not thought to be at risk.

Eventually, at about 10.10am, a man was escorted by police into a van and the road reopened, bringing a tense and dramatic morning to a conclusion.

A man is led away by police on Woodfield Road.

Armed police outside the flat.

Police officer stands next to the cordon at Woodfield Road this morning.

Woodfield Road was closed by police.

A man has been arrested on Woodfield Road in Bilton after reports of knives being thrown out of a window.

North Yorkshire Police, including armed officers, were been to the scene at around 6am this morning.

A cordon was put in place to allow emergency services and a negotiator to speak to the man.

Seven police vehicles were called to the street this morning and officers had to divert residents and traffic down Elm Road. The road remains closed between Elm Road and Skipton Road.

Local residents told the Stray Ferret they are “shocked” by the incident.

North Yorkshire Police has released a statement, earlier this morning, saying:

“We’re currently at the scene of an ongoing incident on Woodfield Road in Bilton. A cordon is in place to allow emergency services, including a police negotiator, to respond.

“Please avoid area until further notice, the wider public are not believed to be at risk. We will provide an update when the cordon has been lifted.”

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Self-combusting linseed oil is believed to have caused a fire that spread to a Harrogate house and shed last night.

The fire shattered a kitchen window and melted a PVC frame during the freak incident at a home in Cecil Street, Bilton about 9.30pm.

The North Yorkshire Fire and Service incident log said:

“Two crews from Harrogate and an officer attended a fire to a shed that spread to a garden fence and caused damage to the rear of a property.

“The fire shattered a kitchen window and melted some of a PVC frame.

“The cause is believed to be some linseed oil that self combusted and melted a turps containers and then run down to the shed setting that alight.”

Linseed oil, which is extracted from flax seed, is a natural oil used as a preservative for wood as well as being an ingredient in paints and varnishes.

Firefighters used two hose reel jets and a thermal imaging camera to tackle the blaze.

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Plans to convert a car park in Bilton into council housing have been sent back to the drawing board.

Harrogate Borough Council’s housing team wants to build the two-bed properties near Dene Park and Woodfield Road to provide what it described as “much-needed” accommodation for some of the hundreds of people on the social housing waiting list.

Planning assistant Arthama Lakhanpall told a meeting on Tuesday that 1,700 households are currently in the queue for council homes, with 316 specifically requesting two-bed properties.

He asked councillors to approve the plans but was told to take another look at the layout and designs.

Conservative councillor Nigel Simms, who represents Masham and Kirkby Malzeard, said the proposals were “just not right yet” and “completely at odds” with existing properties in the area:

“I would like to see something that represents the vernacular that surrounds it, not something that looks as if it has just been brought out of a design brief.

“This needs to go away and come back with something that reflects the local distinctiveness.”

There were also questions over why seven car parking spaces – including three disabled bays – were needed in the plans, with councillors suggesting that more or larger homes could be built.

They also said eco-friendly methods of heating, such as air source heat pumps and solar panels, should be installed instead of gas.

Conservative councillor Andrew Paraskos, who represents Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale, said:

“We could make better use of the land that is there. Whether it is more houses or bigger houses I’m not sure, but it should be sent back for reworking for a scheme that we actually need and is more fitting.”

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A report to councillors said the homes would provide a “modest addition” to the council’s housing stock and that the loss of 12 ‘underused’ car parking spaces would not have a negative impact on the area.

It said:

“The design of the dwellings would respect local distinctiveness and there would be no significant harm to local residential amenity.

“The development would provide off-street parking and additional tree planting. It is considered that the housing development would provide a more efficient use of the site.”

Councillors unanimously voted to defer a decision on the plans at Tuesday’s meeting.

An appeal has been launched to raise money for the family of a young Bilton boy with a rare life-threatening illness.

Archie Flintoft, 5, has Diamond-Blackfan anaemia, an incurable condition whereby his bone marrow doesn’t create the red blood cells he needs to survive.

Only 1,000 people worldwide have the condition and Archie needs to go to Leeds General Infirmary for blood transfusions every three weeks just to keep him alive. He also has to travel to London for a special check-up two or three times a year.

Although treatment costs are covered by the NHS, mum Vicky had to leave her job to take care of Archie. Family visits to St Mary’s Hospital in London can set them back up to £1,000 each time because of transport and accommodation costs.

Two years ago mum Vicky set up a Facebook group called Archie’s Army, where followers can keep up with what Archie’s doing and help out with fundraising projects. But since the covid pandemic it’s been difficult to raise money.

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Mum Vicky says young Archie takes everything in his stride:

“When he has his transfusions he has to sit still for six hours, and that’s not easy for a five-year old. So I get him a magazine with a little toy, and that’s his treat. He has lots of videos, games, and a tablet, and we eat snacks as well.”

The current fundraising bid was launched yesterday as part of a community appeal led by Andrew Hart and Asma Ola, owners of the Red Box, a post office and gift shop on Harrogate’s King Edward Drive.

For every pound donated, Post Office Ltd has agreed to add another pound, and Red Box will donate two pounds on top of this. Donations have already reached a total of £800, including the top-ups.

Vicky said:

“We’re absolutely blown away by everyone’s kindness and support. I don’t have the words to say how much it means to us that people are behind us to provide the best care we can for our boy.”

The family aims to get Archie’s hospital fund to £3,000. Any further money received will be given to DBA UK, the charity which supports people with the condition and their families.

Donations can be made in person at the Red Box newsagent in Bilton.

A campaign has been launched to bring back Bilton Youth Club a decade after it closed.

Arnold Warneken, who was the Harrogate and District Green Party candidate in last week’s the Bilton by-election, has set up a petition calling on North Yorkshire County Council to reinstate the youth club. It was wound up in 2012 following funding cuts.

He said a reinvigorated youth club would have a big impact on young people in Bilton who have been stuck for things to do, particularly during lockdown.

Anti-social behaviour and crime were key issues when he was out campaigning, he added.

Mr Warneken said:

“It’s about getting people to acknowledge the relationship with anti-social behaviour and the lack of youth clubs.”

His petition currently has 230 signatures and Mr Warneken hopes the Bilton community will rally behind it to put pressure on North Yorkshire County Council, which runs children’s services in the district.

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Bilton Youth Club ran for over 50 years and was open three nights a week for teenagers to meet up and socialise. It also offered a range of activities, including sports and outdoor pursuits, until 2012.

The building is now run by the charity North Yorkshire Sport, which operates Bilton Health and Wellbeing Hub. It provides community activities, including a youth club, art club, physical activities, and social sessions for older people.

However, it only offers teenagers the chance to meet up once a week on Monday evenings from 5pm-7pm.

Mr Warneken proposes the youth club could be run at different venues in Bilton and offer activities from camping and foraging to musical tuition and sports coaching.

He added:

“It needs imagination and for the community to believe it will make a difference to crime, safety and health. The kids need to be given a chance.”

North Yorkshire County Council’s head of stronger communities, Marie-Anne Jackson, said:

“The county council’s children and families service are currently actively working with the stronger communities team, North Yorkshire Sport and North Yorkshire Youth to look at how we can work with local communities to support them to develop activities for children and young people and their families.

“We’re keen to harness the incredible energy and community response that has been seen in this work during the pandemic, by engaging with local people and organisations and making sure they have the support, skills and confidence needed to provide community services they would like to see in their local area.

“This includes making sure communities can provide support networks or services they feel they need for children, young people and families in their area.”

Conservative councillor Matt Scott has said he feels “privileged” to represent Harrogate at county level after his by-election win tightened the Tories’ grip on the town.

He was elected onto one of two Bilton and Nidd Gorge seats on North Yorkshire County Council on Friday.

His victory was a major blow for the Liberal Democrats, which had previously won six out of eight county elections in the area in the last 16 years.

It means the Conservatives have strengthened their power on the county council by lifting their total seats to 57 out of 72.

Speaking on Monday to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Scott said he was pleased with the result as he also set out his top priorities for his new term:

“My message to those who voted for me is the same as my message to those who did not vote for me – I am privileged to be able to represent the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division on the county council and will be pleased to help anyone who gets in touch with me.

“I am interested in positive outcomes, not the political allegiance of someone who has come to me for help.

“As a sitting district councillor I will continue to work hard on tackling litter and protecting our green spaces.

“In terms of county council issues I will be doing all I can to support Woodfield Community Primary School. I will also be taking a keen interest in sustainable transport issues as a means of tackling congestion.”

Cllr Scott, who already represents the Bilton Woodfield ward on Harrogate Borough Council and is employed as a caseworker for Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, joins Paul Haslam as one of two Conservative county councillors serving the area.

The by-election was held following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber, whose party previously had a strong foothold during the last four elections.

Read more:

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• Bilton Liberal Democrat candidate ‘very sorry’ after by-election defeat

Standing to replace him was Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Kempston-Parkes, who was second by a margin of 352 votes.

Mr Kempston-Parkes, a local businessman and former borough councillor, said he was “heartbroken and devastated” by the result but promised the party will come back “stronger than ever”. He said:

“I know we will continue the fight against this stranglehold on local politics – we are certainly not finished.”

Mr Kempston-Parkes also criticised the first-past-the-post voting system, which meant the Conservatives won with 43% of votes. He expressed hopes that other opposition parties could form an alliance to contest elections as one group in the future.

He said:

“Perhaps the Lib Dems, Greens and Labour need to come together and form a progressive way of working in order to give the electorate one clear choice.

“If that had been the case in Bilton and Nidd Gorge, the Conservatives would have come second, which is the really sad thing about this election – the majority of people didn’t vote for the person who won.

“As long as the parties in the centre and to the left continue to stand against each other then the Conservatives will continue to rub their hands in glee and rule in the majority when in fact they are the minority.”

The by-election held last week was the only local council election held in the Harrogate district.

A full election for all seats on North Yorkshire County Council was scheduled to take place but was cancelled because of the ongoing local government reorganisation.

Under the plans, elections to a new unitary council structure – which will replace the current two-tier system in North Yorkshire – could happen in 2022 depending on government approval.

The Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election results in full are:

A political row has broken out after a Liberal Democrat campaign leaflet accused the Conservatives of “hypocrisy” and “tricking” voters ahead of the Bilton by-election.

Voters will go the polls tomorrow to elect a new county councillor in the marginal Bilton and Nidd Gorge division.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, the Liberal Democrat candidate, has distributed two leaflets to residents that make several claims about the proposed Knox Lane housing development.

Housing developer Jomast is behind the proposals, which would see 73 homes built on a green field in Bilton.

The development is still to go before Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee, when 12 councillors will vote on the plans.

However, the site is allocated for 52 potential homes in Harrogate district Local Plan, which sets out where development will occur in the district until 2035.

Cllr Matt Scott, who is standing for the Conservatives in Bilton and is a current HBC councillor, voted for the Local Plan before it was adopted in March 2020.

In the leaflet, Mr Kempston-Parkes claims the “Conservatives pretend to oppose the Knox Lane development while secretly voting for it”.

In another leaflet, he alleges the Conservative-run council proposed the development.

The Liberal Democrat leaflet

The second Liberal Democrat leaflet

Read more:

• What the Bilton by-election candidates say on the big issues
• Bilton by-election: What issues matter most to voters?

In response, Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones MP intervened with a leaflet of his own.

It called the Liberal Democrat literature “grossly misleading” and said he was “disturbed” by some of the claims made.

He said:

“I like to see positive and constructive campaigns based on a record of local action. I don’t approve of US-style attack-ad politics.”

Andrew Jones’ leaflet

The Bilton and Nidd Gorge election follows the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.

It is the only local council election taking place in the Harrogate district tomorrow.

Anti-social behaviour, dog fouling and traffic congestion were the main issues Bilton residents said they wanted their new councillor to tackle after tomorrow’s by-election.

Voters will choose a new North Yorkshire county councillor for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division following the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.

It is the only local council election taking place in the Harrogate district.

We asked each candidate how they would respond to the issues raised by residents. For more information about each candidate visit here.

Anti-social behaviour

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:

“I have always found Bilton to be a safe place to be, somewhere I would be happy to walk home to on a night time. 

“It is a place lived in by honest, good people. They need the support of our council, our police and other residents when things go wrong.

“Personally, I would like to see increased numbers of police community support officers and police in our area.”

Matt Scott, Conservatives:

“I am aware of recent reports of anti-social behaviour and am working with fellow councillor Paul Haslam and Harrogate Borough Council’s safer communities team to ensure information is shared.

“I have noticed more police on the streets of Bilton recently, which I believe is down to increased reporting because police resources are concentrated when and where more incidents are reported.”

Tyler Reeton, Labour:

“I believe we need to create a ‘warning system’ so anti-social behaviour doesn’t spiral out of control and therefore, I would create a forum between the police, council and the public.

“This will offer the opportunity for residents to express concerns which can be addressed by our amazing local police team.”

Arnold Warneken, Greens:

“One thing Bilton has in its favour is a strong community spirit and that will be an asset in overcoming the problems of anti-social behaviour.

“I don’t think the answer is just more police, it’s about policing differently, with everyday police presence on the streets and active engagement of these officers with schools and community groups, including a reinvigorated Neighbourhood Watch.”

John Hall, Yorkshire Party:

“Are we doing enough to provide out of school activities such as sports clubs? This would be my priority. We need to work with schools and the local police and target with mobile CCTV in trouble areas”.

Harvey Alexander, Independent:

“There is an old saying: ‘The devil makes work for idle hands’. Anti-social behaviour is mostly caused by people who are unemployed, who feel that they do not have a stake in society. The best way to deal with the anti-social behaviour is for the council to bring manufacturing jobs to the Harrogate area.”

Traffic congestion

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:

“Firstly I would not have allowed thousands of houses to be built on the Skipton Road and in Killinghall and Hampsthwaite.

“For this senseless over-development, we have to thank this Conservative concrete council who failed to put in place the right type of local development framework. This allowed the developers free reign.”

Matt Scott, Conservatives:

“With the relief road rightly defeated, options to accommodate more cars are limited though in the greenway we already have a direct cycle and walking route into town from Bilton, which is accessible from several points.

“Free bus passes are provided for senior citizens by the county council to give another alternative to car travel.

“We also need to work with schools to encourage participation in ‘walking buses’ where children walk to school in a parent-led group. We all need to think about the journeys we make and whether we could make them in a more environmentally-friendly way.”

Tyler Reeton, Labour:

“I will support implementing a park-and-ride scheme to connect Bilton to the rest of Harrogate through Skipton Road. This park-and-ride scheme has to be a genuine green alternative, which is affordable and accessible for residents to consider for travel to work and leisure.”

Arnold Warneken, Greens:

“The Yorkshire rail improvement survey found that over 700 people would use the train every day if Bilton station were re-opened, but that the location made the necessary engineering works too difficult. That’s the kind of initiative I want North Yorkshire County Council to be looking at. Yes there will be tough decisions and money will need to be spent but doing nothing is not an option”

John Hall, Yorkshire Party:

“I would like to see a full review of public transport in and around Harrogate. This would include more buses with affordable fares in all parts of Harrogate including Bilton. I would also support the proposed new railway station in Bilton.”

Harvey Alexander, Independent:

“The easiest way to reduce congestion on Skipton Road would be to syncronise the traffic lights and to adjust their timing according to the flow of traffic at different times of day.”

Dog fouling

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:

“I would propose the reintroduction of the dog license.

“The proceeds would be ring-fenced to hire more dog wardens, increase surveillance in known fouling areas and prosecution of those dog owners who do not clean up after their pets.

“Firstly a warning, secondly a hefty fine (with naming and shaming) and finally the confiscation of the dog and its re-homing.”

Matt Scott, Conservatives:

“Following a resident on Tennyson Avenue getting in touch with me, I met with Harrogate Borough Council’s dog warden to discuss the issue of dog fouling.

“We put penalty notice stickers on lamp posts and visited a few hotspots residents had let me know about. I have informed the street cleansing team about the hotspots and will include them on future litter picks I hope to organise as restrictions on gatherings ease.”

Tyler Reeton, Labour:

“I believe signs are a great way to create awareness of not picking up dog mess but rather than create generic signs, I would like to work with local primary schools and social enterprises to put this measure in place. Each primary school can have their own project – recycling point, bin or rubbish point.”

Arnold Warneken, Greens:

“In certain locations it is acceptable to ‘stick and flick’ as dog mess is a food source for so much of our wildlife. I’d like to see more hedgerows along our grass verges, lining every street. They’d discourage people from parking on the verges and dog owners could simply scoop their pet’s mess under the hedge, providing an increased source of food that is almost guaranteed to bring a hedgehog to every street.”

John Hall, Yorkshire Party:

“Mobile CCTV can also be used to identify dog owners who allow their dogs to foul pavements and walkways. In addition, anyone walking a dog off the lead or who fails to show that they are unequipped to pick up dog mess would face a £100 fine.”

Harvey Alexander, Independent:

“The council should use CCTV to discover the culprits and prosecute them.”